Hammersmith and City line operating times

Unmesh Desai: What changes, if any, have there been to the first and last train times on the Hammersmith and City line since 1 January 2020? And what plans, if any, are there to change the times in the future?

The Mayor: Scheduled first and last train times have not changed on the Hammersmith and City line since 1 January 2020. The times are published on the TfL website:https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/tube/first-and-last-tube.
There will be minor changes to these times in September as part of the first in a series of timetable improvements that will be progressively delivered by the Four Lines Modernisation programme.

ULEZ support

Anne Clarke: A constituent of mine in Camden has written to state that without a car scrappage scheme, he cannot afford to replace his car, which is essential for his business. What help and support is available for him?

The Mayor: The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) Car and Motorcycle Scrappage Scheme remains open to new applicants. This scheme allows those who live within the 32 London boroughs or the City of London and receive certain means-tested and non means-tested disability benefits to scrap vehicles that don't meet the ULEZ emissions standards. Eligibility criteria can be found at https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/car-and-motorcycle-scrappage-scheme
I have investedmore than £56million in funding to create scrappage schemes to help small businesses,charities operating minibuses andlow-income and disabled Londoners. These schemes have already helped replacenearly 10,000older, more polluting vehicles, with more in the pipeline.
I continue to lobby for Government to support scrappage in London, as they have in other cities with Clean Air Zones, and at least match my investment so that I can extend help to more Londoners like your constituent who want to do the right thing but are struggling to do so.

Manifesto Pledges (2)

Keith Prince: In your manifesto you pledged to “ask TfL to consider other ways of raising income to make up for the loss of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), in a way which is consistent with my overriding aspirations to tackle London’s problems of congestion and poor air quality.” In order to be clear that you will not use this pledge to try as a sneaky justification for the introduction of road pricing, will you rule out introducing road pricing during this Mayoral term?

The Mayor: My approach to paying for road use is set out in my Transport Strategy. This states that Transport for London (TfL) keeps the Congestion Charge and other road user charges under review, including investigating whether there are ways to better reflect distance driven, emissions, time and road danger in an integrated way.
In the last five years I have done this, taking bold measures to combat poor air quality by introducing the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which has reduced roadside nitrogen dioxide by 44 per cent in central London. I have gone further by tightening the standards of my Low Emission Zone in March this year, and will be expanding the ULEZ in October. This expansion is set to, in an area 18 times larger than the central ULEZ, result in NO2 concentrations dropping along most roads by around 5 – 10 per cent, and along larger more strategic roads, including the boundary roads, up to 20 per cent. The health benefits of tougher emissions standards will save the NHS and social care system around £5 billion over the next 30 years.
I will continue to press the Government to allow London to retain its share of VED and as you will be aware, TfL are undertaking a feasibility study into a potential Greater London Boundary Charge for non-residents.. As part of this, TfL will undertake an initial exercise to identify the impact of options on traffic, emissions, health, equality and the economy. The findings of the study are expected later in the year. Proceeds of any charge would be used to deliver the MTS.

New Providence Wharf Fire (3)

Anne Clarke: What learning can LFB take from the New Providence Wharf Fire and how can this be used to protect other buildings that still have ACM cladding in place?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) learns from every emergency it attends, and will be conducting a series of debriefs to learn and implement lessons about its response. The Brigade will also carry out a fire investigation into the incident which will identify the cause of the fire and all regulatory fire safety issues that may need to be addressed. Lessons learned from this incident will be used to inform its response to all other incidents including the protection of buildings that have ACM cladding in place.
All firefighters and Control Officers involved in the incident were able to draw on training and measures that have been put in place since the Grenfell Tower fire to help resolve the incident as quickly as possible, while minimising harm to residents. Additionally, in 2018 LFB became the first fire and rescue service in the UK to introduce fire escape hoods, and at this incident firefighters wearing breathing apparatus carried out 35 rescues, 22 using fire escape hoods.

Air Quality and the Expanded ULEZ (2)

Leonie Cooper: What impact is the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone anticipated to have on air quality in the area outside of the expanded ULEZ?

The Mayor: Air pollution is not, and never has been, only a central London problem which is why expanding the ULEZ has been part of my plans since I consulted on it in 2017. A recent report by Imperial College London found that the greatest number of deaths attributable to air pollution were in outer London boroughs.
Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion is expected to reduce NOx emissions from cars, vans and motorcycles by 12 per cent in outer London, while tougher LEZ standards for buses, coaches and lorries will reduce NOx emissions by 50 per cent in outer London in 2021. The two schemes are expected to lead to 96 per cent of roads in outer London (and 92 per cent of roads London wide) complying with legal limits for NO2 by the end of this year. The two schemes are also expected to reduce exhaust emissions of PM2.5 by 26 per cent in outer London.

Transfer of TfL Land

Sem Moema: What land, if any, has been transferred from TfL to the GLA since May 2016? Please provide details of each land transfer and the total number of units, and affordable units, that are planned for each site.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has not transferred any land to the Greater London Authority in this period.
London is facing a housing crisis and TfL’s ambitious plans to build homes on its own land are part of the solution. 1,567 homes are already complete or under construction. A further 6,759 homes have received planning consent and planning applications for a further 810 homes have been submitted and are awaiting approval. TfL is expecting to submit planning applications for a further 1,553 homes in the year ahead.
TfL is achieving its target of an average of 50 per cent affordable housing on all homes brought forward since May 2016.

Planning Bus Services (5)

Elly Baker: How much do you plan to invest in bus priority schemes in 2021/22? How many schemes will be funded? Please break down by financial year and by borough.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) expects to have a confirmed programme for 2021/22 by the end of June, subject to the constraints of the Government funding deal agreed on 1 June following the devasting impact of the pandemic on TfL’s financesTransport for London (TfL) expects to have a confirmed programme for 2021/22 by the end of June, subject to the constraints of the Government funding deal agreed on 1 June following the devasting impact of the pandemic on TfL’s finances

Bus Lanes Legislation

Elly Baker: Can you confirm that the London Local Authorities Act (1996), which was extended to cover TfL in the Transport for London (Bus Lanes) Order 2001, allows ambulances to use the bus lanes, whether they are using their blue lights or not?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s bus lane policy exempts any vehicle used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes if the observance of the controls of the bus lane would hinder the use of the vehicle, whether or not with blue lights. This is consistent with the relevant provisions of the London Local Authorities Act 1996. Any vehicle that is not an ambulance but is used for patient transfer is not exempt from bus lanes restrictions in legislation.

Operating Agreement between TOL and TfL in effect on 9 November 2016

Keith Prince: Further to your response to Question 2020/1100, please provide me with a copy of the operating agreement between TOL and TfL that was in effect on 9 November 2016. Kindly indicate (a) when or if TfL has ever made this version of the agreement publicly available and (b) when or if TfL removed this version of the agreement from public scrutiny.

The Mayor: The Amended and Restated Operating Agreement is publicly available on the Transport for London (TfL) website as noted in Mayor’s Questions 2020/1100 and 2021/1954 and is the first version of the agreement which has been published by TfL. The arrangements that were in effect on 9 November 2016 can be seen from the earlier versions of the Operating Agreement at Schedule 12 of the document on the hyperlink provided in Mayor’s Question 2020/1100. The history of the contractual arrangements dating from 1996 can be obtained from the recitals to the Amended and Restated Operating Agreement.

Increased pollution monitoring on red routes

Zack Polanski: The coroner in the inquest into the death of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah has found that there was not enough awareness of air pollution data and suggested that new monitors should be provided where air pollution is worst. Will you consider installing new air pollution monitors on red routes, including on the South Circular close to where Ella lived?

The Mayor: I am fully committed to addressing the areas of concern raised in the Coroner’s report and will continue to do everything in my power to ensure that all Londoners are aware of the dangers of air pollution, what they may do to help manage their exposure and, ultimately, can breathe clean air.
London already has one of the most comprehensive air quality monitoring networks in the world, with over 120 of the highest quality “reference” monitors, around 50 of which are on or adjacent to the red routes. In January I announced the next phase of the Breathe London network will eventually include around 200 lower cost sensors. At least 10 of these will be deployed on red routes. The locations for 60 of these (funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies) will be chosen by individuals and community groups. In addition, each borough will receive at least one sensor and will be consulting with their communities in choosing site locations.
Subject to discussions with Ella’s family, I will work with Lewisham to ensure a Breathe London sensor is installed on the South Circular close to where Ella lived.